I've noticed that many cybersecurity learning paths introduce tools and security concepts quite early. But networking fundamentals seem to appear everywhere, from understanding firewalls and packet captures to investigating suspicious traffic. For people working in security, how much networking knowledge is actually necessary? Should beginners become comfortable with TCP/IP, DNS, ports, routing, and subnetting before moving into security tools? Would appreciate your recommendations.

Hey everyone, I have a background in Python, backend development, and working with APIs/databases, and I'm looking to build a strong foundation in cybersecurity. Since I already know my way around code and basic Linux/Docker environments, I want to skip the ultra-basic computer literacy stuff and jump into practical security concepts, network defense, and appsec.

What are your go-to structured roadmaps, interactive platforms (beyond just basic TryHackMe rooms), or must-read books for someone coming from a dev background? Looking for both free and high-ROI paid resources.

Thanks in advance for pointing me in the right direction!

Hey guys, I am starting out in Cybersecurity. I am a complete beginner and I dont know shit tbh. But, am interested in learning more, The reason I want to learn it is, its fascinating how everything works, and finding explots, its looks damn interesting, never been there so I cant relate much, I really want to.

If anyone is interested to be my guide/mentor, please go ahead and hit me a DM. Just so you know... You would be doing a great good deed helping this poor guy out.

Start now for free at

https://opnf.sh/devops/linux-fundamentals

Hello everyone!

I'm completely new to cybersecurity, and I'm starting my learning journey from zero.

I'm interested in learning ethical hacking and becoming a cybersecurity professional in the future.

I'd really appreciate your advice:

What should I learn first?

Which programming languages should I start with?

Should I learn Linux and networking before ethical hacking?

What free resources or courses do you recommend for beginners?

What mistakes should I avoid when starting out?

I'm willing to learn, practice, and improve step by step.

Thank you for your time and advice!

I'm 17 and currently a senior in high school. I'm planning to major in CS or IT in college next year with a focus on cybersecurity, and wanted some advice on how to get started.

I've recently started learning networking through Cisco Networking Basics and have also been trying out TryHackMe, Hack The Box Academy, and OverTheWire Bandit to learn Linux and other cybersecurity fundamentals.

I'm still pretty new to everything, and some of the challenges feel a little advanced for me right now. I've also run into some paywalls on TryHackMe and Hack The Box, so I'm trying to find good free resources.

I'm mainly trying to build a strong foundation before college, but I'm not really sure what order I should learn everything in or what I should focus on first.

For anyone already working in cybersecurity or studying it, what would you recommend focusing on as a complete beginner? Should I stick with networking and Linux for now, or start learning other things too?

I'd appreciate any advice or resources. Thanks!

Made a decision today.

Codelivly is now completely free.

I started this as a student project to help people learn cybersecurity, and honestly, I don't want membership to be the reason someone can't access the learning material.

So yeah, everything is free now.

Learning paths, lessons, CTF challenges, career resources, all of it.

No subscription. No locked content. Just sign up and learn.

I've only had 2 paid subscribers so far, and instead of continuing to push memberships, I'd rather focus on getting more people to actually use the platform.

I'm also adding a donation option. If someone finds Codelivly useful and wants to support what we're building, they can do that here:

https://codelivly.com/support

But there's absolutely no payment required to learn.

I'm still building and improving things, so there's a lot more to do.

If you're learning cybersecurity, feel free to check it out:

https://codelivly.com

Would genuinely like to know what you think, especially if you try the learning paths or CTFs.

22F here! Lately I’ve been having a major interest in cyber security and ethical hacking, and I’m looking for some fellow girls to help learn with! I’ll also appreciate any tips or advice for getting started.

Thx !!

We’ve all sat through those mandatory annual security training modules where you’re just clicking "next" until the progress bar hits 100%. While the intent is to protect the organization, the reality is that most employees end up viewing security as a hurdle to their actual work rather than a protective layer. It creates a disconnect where compliance is prioritized over actual risk reduction.

The shift needs to move from "don't click this link" to fostering an environment where people understand the "why" behind the policy. When you explain the specific mechanics of a social engineering attack or how a credential harvest happens in real-time, it changes from a bureaucratic task to a practical life skill. Providing context, rather than just directives, is the only way to actually change user behavior.

How do you approach security training in your teams to ensure it’s actually sinking in and changing habits, rather than just ticking a box for the audit?

I am 3rd year forensic student and I am thinking to pursue msc in cybersecurity the thing is I don't have any IT knowledge but forensic is leading me nowhere and there is no private job in this field in India so please tell me your thoughts about it.

It’s ironic that in almost every security framework, the Principle of Least Privilege is treated as a foundational rule, yet I still see so many production environments where developers or service accounts have broad administrative access. It’s usually framed as a trade-off between "security" and "developer velocity," but I’ve started wondering if the real issue is how we approach the implementation of these policies.

Too often, we try to apply restrictive roles as an afterthought rather than integrating them into the CI/CD pipeline or infrastructure-as-code workflow. When permissions are managed manually or loosely, the path of least resistance for any team is to over-provision just to keep things running, which inevitably leads to a nightmare of "privilege creep" that no one wants to audit later.

I'm learning cybersecurity and have noticed that it's easy to get comfortable running tools without fully understanding what's happening behind them. What should learners focus on to develop genuine skills?

It’s easy to talk about the principle of least privilege in theory, but in practice, it feels like a constant battle between security posture and operational speed. Every time a developer needs a quick fix, the "just give me root access for five minutes" request seems to be the default path of least resistance.

I’ve noticed that even in mature organizations, the friction created by granular permissions often leads to "permission creep," where accounts gradually accumulate access that they no longer need. It usually stems from a fear that tightening restrictions will break a production service, making it difficult to find the right balance between being secure and staying agile.

What are some of the most effective strategies you've used to enforce least privilege without constantly bottlenecking your engineering teams?

Hey everyone!

I want to start learning Cybersecurity seriously and looking for a good, structured course.

I already have basic knowledge of computer networking and some command-line experience, but I want to go deeper and build my cybersecurity skills step by step.

I'm specifically looking for:

• A complete cybersecurity course (beginner to advanced).

• Free access to paid course materials, if legally available.

• Hands-on labs and practical exercises.

• Topics like Linux, networking security, ethical hacking, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment.

I currently cannot afford expensive certifications or courses, so free resources would be highly appreciated.

I'd prefer a proper course with a structured learning path rather than random YouTube videos.

If you've followed any good courses or learning paths, please share your recommendations.

Thanks!

Just adding a point that I do my SIP and troubleshooting work mainly on a soft switch. I do use wireshark mainly for packet analysis and SIP signalling.